Combining vision with experience, a professional chef creates his home kitchen

Shag carpeting, a sunken living room, ceilings textured like cottage cheese— these eyesore hallmarks of 1970s design didn't deter David Gingrass, who was confident he could turn this 1,500- square-foot house, in Napa, California, into something befitting modern times. David, chef-owner of the San Francisco restaurant Two, proved to be just as skillful in the workshop as he is at the range. Doing most of the renovation himself, he created a residence that more than meets his personal and professional needs.

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Down came interior walls, as rooms were reordered and the place took on the characteristics of a contemporary ranch house: open spaces, large lightadmitting windows, easy outdoor access. David even removed closets, jettisoning a pantry and a space that had contained the washer/dryer. He says no pantry was needed; he never uses packaged or prepared foods. And he found a place for his laundry appliances in a corner of the attached garage.

David wanted his kitchen to be a kind of dining theater, a place to entertain as well as work. Two walls were removed, opening the space up to the foyer and the adjacent dining room. At 120 square feet, the new kitchen, he says, "is roughly the size of the old one and in the same general part of the house, but it bears no resemblance to what had been there before."

Floor Plan: Steven Stankiewicz Its amenities are state-of-the-art but less than lavish, somewhat surprising considering this is the realm of a professional chef. Two ovens and a microwave are built into one wall; a six-burner cooktop resides in the island; and a dishwasher sits next to a large undermount sink on a wall where a frameless window doubles as a backsplash. The only visual indication that this is the domain of a professional is the restaurant-style refrigerator-freezer.

Custom cabinets are made of wenge, an imported hardwood. Above the window, a row of wall cabinets has acrylic insets in the doors. "White linen was fused into the resin to add a textural element," David says. "I wanted dark wood for the cabinets, but not too much of it. Having those translucent door panels lightens things up." Other contrasts include stainless steel countertops as well as appliances, plus a center island made of medium-density fiberboard that's been given a reddish orange lacquer finish. Over and above the wipeable surfaces, the abundant light and the inviting open-space plan, the single most important amenity, David says, is "maximum flexibility." And this kitchen certainly has it.

DESIGN POINTS

Chef ConcernsA high-powered range is just one ingredient in a restaurant-style kitchen. Here's what makes this residential space work for an actual professional chef:

Good Things Come in Twos: The kitchen has two sinks—one for cooking and one for pot washing and cleaning up. Gingrass also stacked two wall ovens below the microwave on one wall, and the cooktop on the island features two large, high-powered burners.

Restaurant Style, Home Fit: The giant twodoor refrigerator looks commercial and contains a vast amount of storage, but its 22-inch depth is designed specifically for a residential kitchen.